- Paperback: 784 pages
- Publisher: ARCADIA BOOKS; Norwiegen Language edition (25 Jun 2009)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 190641307X
- ISBN-13: 978-1906413071
- Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.8 x 4.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 653,061 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Product Description
Yes, Kim Karlsen and his three buddies Gunnar, Ola and Seb do occasionally like to think of themselves as the Fab Four. Beatles is the story of their friendship - beginning in 1965, the year of the first wave of Beatlemania in Norway. Each chapter takes a different Beatles song (or, near the end, post-Beatle solo songs) as its title and theme. A well-written account of growing up in a very specific time and place.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I'd been wanting to read this book ever since I read Saabye Christensen's 'Herman' (which I enjoyed a lot) a few years ago and then discovered he wrote a novel titled 'Beatles' way back in 1984. The trouble was that no English version existed. But thanks to Don Bartlett's 2009 translation we English readers can now enjoy Kim Karlsen's desire to be a Beatle together with his three friends Gunnar (John), Sebastian (George) and Ola (Ringo)
The novel begins in Oslo 1965 and ends in the same city in 1972. We follow the characters from the ages of 14 to 21 and witness their various fallings out, drinking bouts, fights, drug use etc. Although they never get around to creating a rock band, Kim and his three friends reflect the life of the Beatles. For example, the innocent way in which the four boys eagerly listen to the latest Beatles record in the early chapters and then make plans to form a pop band reflect the early days of the 'mop top' Beatles and their (media-manipulated?) innocence. From here we move to seeing the four boys experimenting with drugs and going their separate ways - which of course mirrors the breaking up of the Beatles in the early 70s.
Despite the large dollops of humour and the the upbeat language, the novel has a dark undercurrent of foreboding which is expertly handled. Saabye Christensen's prose also flows deceptively easily throughout the novel and despite its size you just flow through the pages.
In 2006, the Beatles was was voted the best novel of the last 25 years by a Norwegian newspaper's readers. Apparently, it also has two sequels: Bly (Lead) in 1990, and Bisettelsen (The funeral), in 2008. Both have not yet been translated into English which is a real shame.
I liked this book so much that I went out and bought Saabye Christensen's 'Half Brother' which is an equally lengthy but equally enjoyable book. I'm in the middle of it and it's fabulous.
The novel begins in Oslo 1965 and ends in the same city in 1972. We follow the characters from the ages of 14 to 21 and witness their various fallings out, drinking bouts, fights, drug use etc. Although they never get around to creating a rock band, Kim and his three friends reflect the life of the Beatles. For example, the innocent way in which the four boys eagerly listen to the latest Beatles record in the early chapters and then make plans to form a pop band reflect the early days of the 'mop top' Beatles and their (media-manipulated?) innocence. From here we move to seeing the four boys experimenting with drugs and going their separate ways - which of course mirrors the breaking up of the Beatles in the early 70s.
Despite the large dollops of humour and the the upbeat language, the novel has a dark undercurrent of foreboding which is expertly handled. Saabye Christensen's prose also flows deceptively easily throughout the novel and despite its size you just flow through the pages.
In 2006, the Beatles was was voted the best novel of the last 25 years by a Norwegian newspaper's readers. Apparently, it also has two sequels: Bly (Lead) in 1990, and Bisettelsen (The funeral), in 2008. Both have not yet been translated into English which is a real shame.
I liked this book so much that I went out and bought Saabye Christensen's 'Half Brother' which is an equally lengthy but equally enjoyable book. I'm in the middle of it and it's fabulous.
Format:Paperback
This drifts along page after page, the characters get a bit older and learn a few trite life-lessons along the way, and the only thing that makes it distinctive is the Norwegian setting.... But that barely seems worth commenting upon either because the Norway that's depicted seems like just about everywhere else. The influence of US and English culture is very strong. Maybe that was the point of the novel?
This is perfectly readable and it certainly has some entertaining moments but if you had a checklist of all the things you'd expect to see in a novel set in this era, then wrote a novel linking them all in somehow, I think this is what you'd end up with. I found it quite mediocre and could not work out why the translation uses lots of anachronistic English slang words which is very jarring. Maybe that's the real problem: an unsympathetic translation.
This is perfectly readable and it certainly has some entertaining moments but if you had a checklist of all the things you'd expect to see in a novel set in this era, then wrote a novel linking them all in somehow, I think this is what you'd end up with. I found it quite mediocre and could not work out why the translation uses lots of anachronistic English slang words which is very jarring. Maybe that's the real problem: an unsympathetic translation.
Format:Paperback
Beatles If you are looking for a book about the Beatles then this is not the book for you, but if you want to know what it was like to grow up in the 60's then this really can evoke memories. Set in Oslo each chapter is titled by a Beatle's song and tells the story of a young guy and his 3 mates who call each other John, Paul, George and Ringo. It follows the life of central character from about 1964 to 1972. The narrative of his emotional development is well woven into the social events of the time. I really enjoyed this story and could relate it to my own experience. And for people who were never Beatles' fans the Doors get a mention too.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Although not a great fan of coming of age dramas ...
Although not a great fan of `coming of age' dramas, Beatles was quite an enjoyable read.
Lars Saabye Christensen is one of Norway's most well read authors and `Beatles'... Read more
Lars Saabye Christensen is one of Norway's most well read authors and `Beatles'... Read more
Published on 27 Feb 2010 by Karen Baxter
All about being young in the sixties - fantastic!
You don't have to be a Beatles fan to relate to this book, but it would probably help. I was - and still am - a Beatles fan, which was what initially drew me to this massive novel. Read more
Published on 28 Dec 2009 by Timothy J. Bazzett
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